Duane Morris TechLaw

February 20, 2013July 18, 2016 by Eric J. Sinrod

President Obama’s Executive Order: 5 Ways To Improve Cybersecurity

Following his recent State of the Union address, President Obama issued an Executive Order entitled “Improving Critical Infrastructure Cybersecurity.”

The Policy section of the Executive Order notes that repeated cyber intrusions into critical infrastructure demand improved cybersecurity. This section correctly points out that the threat to critical infrastructure “continues to grow and represents one of the most serious national security challenges we must confront.”

Indeed, it is stated that the “national and economic security of the United States depends on the reliable functioning of the Nation’s critical infrastructure in the face of such threats.”

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February 12, 2013July 18, 2016 by Eric J. Sinrod

Hackers Strike Again: Federal Reserve and Ex-President Bush Targeted

Are hackers still out there causing mischief on the Internet? You bet! Indeed, our own Federal Reserve reported that one of its internal websites had been breached by hackers last week, according to Reuters.

The Reuters article notes that this follows an assertion that hackers associated with the activist group Anonymous had gained access to personal data relating to more than 4,000 bank executives. That data was then posted on the Internet.

A statement by a Federal Reserve spokeswoman stated that information had been obtained by “exploiting a temporary vulnerability in a website vendor product.”

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February 5, 2013July 18, 2016 by Eric J. Sinrod

The Legal Ethics of Social Media and the Cloud

Social media no longer is the province of only those who are college-aged or younger. Indeed, businesses of all types now seek to capitalize on social media connections, and law firms are no exception. Many firms now have their own Facebook pages, for example, and many lawyers are seeking to attract attention through a variety of other social media sites such as LinkedIn and Twitter. Also, more and more, information is being stored in the cloud.

Notwithstanding this gravitational pull toward clouds and social media, lawyers need to remain mindful of ethical and practical constraints, so that they do not feel more pain than joy in this context.

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January 28, 2013September 12, 2014 by Duane Morris

Want to “Unlock” That New Mobile Phone? The Rules Have Changed.

It’s a little-known fact that the Librarian of Congress has the power to determine if you can “unlock” your mobile phone/PDA in order to change the telephone/ISP service accessible on the device. You might not think a librarian could be that powerful, but it’s the law.

Learn more about the Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DCMA) and the Librarian of Congress’ role in unlocking mobile phones in this blog entry from partner Mark Fischer on the New Media and Entertainment Law Blog.

January 25, 2013September 12, 2014 by Duane Morris

Monetizing Open Source Platforms — Something New?

Sharing software code via free open source has been around since the 1980s and has enjoyed much success. Open source has been applied to content, websites, technological parts, and other materials. Can and should an open source platform be monetized?

Partner Mark Fischer takes a look at GitHub (a collaborative website allowing individuals to share code) and its place in monetizing open source code in this blog entry from the New Media and Entertainment Law Blog.

January 22, 2013July 18, 2016 by Eric J. Sinrod

High Tech Replacing Familiar Favorites, But Low Tech Will Live On

Technology is advancing at warp speed, and the way we live is changing constantly. Indeed, what was once lifestyle bedrock is now going the way of the dinosaurs.

For example, when I backpacked in Europe more than three decades ago, I kept in touch with my family by way of aerogrammes and postcards. Those days are gone. My daughter just started her study abroad program in Copenhagen, and within hours of hitting Danish soil, I heard from her by way of Facebook messages and mobile telephone calls via Skype.

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January 16, 2013July 18, 2016 by Eric J. Sinrod

Get Your E-Discovery Together

Once upon a time, the production of information in civil litigation primarily consisted of the exchange of hard-copy, paper records. Those days are long gone.

We now are in the electronic age, and productions feature all sorts of electronic data. It is important to get it right when it comes to eDiscovery, as the downside consequences for getting it wrong can be severe.

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January 8, 2013July 18, 2016 by Eric J. Sinrod

Google, FTC Reach Agreement On Competition Issues

The FTC has issued a press release claiming that it has reached an agreement with Google to resolve competition concerns in the markets for smartphones, games, tablets, and online search.

The FTC states that pursuant to a settlement agreement, Google will comply with earlier promises to permit access to competitors on reasonable terms to patents on certain popular devices. And as a result of an independent commitment letter, Google will provide greater flexibility to online advertisers to manage advertisement campaigns on Google’s AdWords platform and to make sure not to misappropriate content from vertical sites that target specific categories (such as travel) for offerings.

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December 19, 2012July 18, 2016 by Eric J. Sinrod

Tech Companies Seek More Airwaves As Christmas Present

With Christmas coming, many of us are thinking about smartphones and tablet computers as gifts for our loved ones and even ourselves. But we do not tend to think about the airwaves needed for those devices to receive signals and download data.

Not to worry, though: Your technology companies are making the case to Congress that additional airwaves need to be opened up.

Indeed, a coalition of tech companies forwarded a letter to certain members of Congress last week in an effort to gain greater access to airwaves, according to The Hill’s Hillicon Valley blog. Signatories to the letter included Apple, Cisco, Samsung, RIM, Intel, Nokia, Qualcomm and Alcatel-Lucent.

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